Nintendo will launch Switch 2 this year, the long-awaited successor to its flagship console, of which nearly 150 million units have been sold worldwide, the Japanese giant said, as quoted by AFP.
The company posted a video on its website showing how the 2017 Switch is becoming the new iteration of the gaming console.
"Nintendo Switch 2 will be released in 2025," the company wrote, adding that it would provide more information about the console in a livestream on April 2.
In the just over two-minute video, Nintendo shows off a console that looks a lot like the original Switch hybrid, which can be held in the hand or connected to a TV screen.
The Switch 2 boasts a larger tablet-like central screen, with a kickstand and, similar to its predecessor's layout, similar paired "joy-con" controllers that attach to the sides with magnets.
Throughout the video, the console is also seen displaying a new version of the long-running Mario Kart series on both its built-in screen and on a TV, after the last installment, "Mario Kart 8," sold over 64 million copies.
Nintendo also said that starting April 4, several "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience" events will be held in major cities around the world to give gamers a chance to test the new console.
Consumers have long been thirsty for news on a sequel to the original Switch, which has sold over 146 million units worldwide since hitting shelves in 2017.
That makes the Switch the third best-selling console in history behind Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's DS.
In recent weeks, speculation has been fuelled by the leak of some technical details.
Nintendo estimates it has sold 1.3 billion copies of Switch titles, including "Animal Crossing: New Horizons," which became a must-play game among all age groups during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Jan. 16, the company said the new machine "will be playable on Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games, as well as physical and digital Nintendo Switch games" - fulfilling a promise of backward compatibility with the old console it made in November.
It also added that "some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or may not be fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2" - adding that further details will be provided "at a later date". | BGNES
